Moses

1The LORD said to Moses, "Cut two flat stones, like the first two. I will write on them the same words that were on the first stones. You broke those first stones."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

NoteFlat stones were used like paper long ago. Words were cut into them with a sharp tool. Moses broke the first two stones when the people made a gold calf.

2"Be ready in the morning. In the morning come up Mount Sinai. Stand there before me on top of the mountain."

And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.

NoteMount Sinai is a big mountain in the desert. God met Moses there and spoke with him.

3"No one may come up with you. No one may even be seen anywhere on the mountain. No flocks or herds may eat grass in front of the mountain."

And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.

NoteA flock is a group of sheep or goats. A herd is a group of cows.

4So Moses cut two flat stones like the first two. He got up early in the morning. He went up Mount Sinai, just as the LORD told him. He carried the two stones in his hand.

And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

5The LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses. He said his own name out loud: the LORD.

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

NoteThe thick cloud showed that God was there. No one could look at God himself.

6The LORD walked past in front of Moses and called out, "The LORD, the LORD God. He is full of mercy and kindness. He is slow to get angry. He is full of goodness and truth."

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

NoteMercy means being kind to someone who did wrong. Gracious means giving good gifts that nobody earned. The King James word "longsuffering" means slow to get angry.

7"He keeps showing mercy to thousands. He forgives wrong and rule-breaking and sin. But he will not say guilty people are free of blame. He brings the fathers' wrongs onto the children and the grandchildren. This goes on to the third and fourth families after them."

Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

NoteThe King James uses three words: "iniquity," "transgression" and "sin." All three mean doing what is wrong. A generation is one set of parents, then their children, then their children's children.

8Moses hurried and bowed his head down to the ground. He worshiped.

And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

NoteTo worship is to show God how great he is. Bowing your head to the ground was one way to do it.

9He said, "LORD, if you are pleased with me, please come along with us. These people are stubborn. Please forgive the wrong things we have done. Take us as your own."

And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O LORD, let my LORD, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

NoteThe King James says "stiffnecked." It pictures an ox that will not turn its neck when you pull. It means people who will not listen.

27The LORD said to Moses, "Write these words down. These words are the agreement I have made with you and with Israel."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

28Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He ate no bread and drank no water. He wrote on the stones the words of the agreement, the ten commandments.

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

NoteForty days and forty nights means a very long time. The ten commandments are the ten rules God gave his people.

29Moses came down from Mount Sinai. He held the two stone tablets in his hand. Moses did not know that the skin of his face was shining. It shone from talking with the LORD.

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

NoteThe King James calls the stones "tables of testimony." A table here means a flat stone, not something you eat on. Testimony means they told what God had said. Moses' face gave off light, like a lamp. The King James says he "wist not," which means he did not know.

30Aaron and all the people of Israel looked at Moses. His face was shining. They were afraid to come near him.

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

31But Moses called out to them. Aaron and all the leaders of the people came back to him. Moses talked with them.

And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.

NoteThese leaders were the men who spoke for the family groups of Israel.

32After that, all the people of Israel came near. Moses gave them every command the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.

And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.

33When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.

NoteA veil is a thin piece of cloth worn over the face. You can see through it a little.

34Whenever Moses went in to speak with the LORD, he took the veil off. He left it off until he came out. Then he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded.

But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

35The people of Israel saw that the skin of Moses' face was shining. Then Moses put the veil back on his face. He kept it on until he went in to speak with the LORD.

And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

16Moses did all this. He did everything just as the LORD told him.

Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.

17So the holy tent was put up. It was the first day of the first month, in the second year.

And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.

NoteThis was one year after the people left Egypt.

18Moses put up the tent. He set its bases in place. He stood up its boards and put in its bars. He set up its posts.

And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.

NoteThe tent had a wooden frame. Tall boards stood up in heavy metal feet called bases. Long bars held the boards together.

19He spread the tent cloth over the holy tent. Then he put the covering on top of it. He did just as the LORD told him.

And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

NoteCloth and animal skins went over the frame. They kept out the rain and the hot sun.

20He took God's rules and put them in the ark. He set the poles on the ark. He put the gold lid, called the mercy seat, on top.

And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:

NoteGod's rules were written on two flat stones. The mercy seat was the gold lid of the box. Poles slid through rings so men could carry it. That way no one had to touch the holy box.

21He brought the ark into the holy tent. He hung up the curtain to screen it off. So the ark of the rules was covered, just as the LORD told him.

And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.

22Moses put the table in the tent of meeting. It stood on the north side, outside the curtain.

And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.

NoteThe tent had two rooms with a curtain in between. The table stood in the front room.

23He set the bread out on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had told him.

And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

NoteThere were twelve loaves, one for each family group of Israel. Fresh bread was set out every week.

24He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, across from the table, on the south side.

And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.

25He lit the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD told him.

And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

26He put the gold altar in the tent of meeting, in front of the curtain.

And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:

27He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as the LORD told him.

And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.

28He hung the curtain at the door of the holy tent.

And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

29He put the altar for burnt offerings near the door of the tent of meeting. On it he gave a burnt offering and a grain offering. He did just as the LORD told him.

And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.

NoteThe old words say "meat offering." Long ago the word meat meant any kind of food. This gift was flour and oil, not an animal.

30He put the washing bowl between the tent of meeting and the altar. He put water in it for washing.

And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.

31Moses and Aaron and Aaron's sons washed their hands and their feet there.

And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:

NoteThe priests worked with bare feet on holy ground. So they washed their feet as well as their hands.

32They washed when they went into the tent of meeting. They washed when they came near the altar. They did just as the LORD told Moses.

When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.

33He put up the yard around the tent and the altar. He hung the curtain at the gate of the yard. So Moses finished the work.

And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

34Then a cloud covered the tent of meeting. The bright glory of the LORD filled the holy tent.

Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

NoteThe glory was a bright shining light. It showed the people that God was really there.

35Moses was not able to go into the tent. The cloud was resting on it. The glory of the LORD filled the holy tent.

And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

36When the cloud lifted up from the tent, the people of Israel moved on. They did this on all their travels.

And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

37But if the cloud did not lift, they did not move on. They waited until the day it lifted.

But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

38The LORD's cloud was over the tent by day. Fire was on it at night. All the people of Israel could see it, on all their travels.

For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

NoteAt night the cloud glowed like fire. Everyone could see it, even in the dark.

1The LORD spoke to Moses. He said:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

NoteLORD written in big letters stands for God's own special name.

2"Take Aaron and his sons with you. Bring their special clothes and the holy oil. Bring a young bull for the sin offering. Bring two rams and a basket of flat bread made without yeast.

Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

NoteAaron and his sons were about to become priests. A priest was a man who helped people worship God. The holy oil was olive oil poured on people or things to show God had chosen them. A sin offering was a gift given when someone had done wrong. A ram is a grown male sheep. Yeast is what makes bread puff up and rise. Flat bread with no yeast was used for holy meals.

3Then gather all the people at the door of the tent of meeting. That is the tent where the people came to meet with God."

And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

NoteThe tent of meeting was a big cloth tent used like a church. The people could take it down and carry it as they traveled.

4Moses did what the LORD told him to do. The people gathered at the door of the tent of meeting.

And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

5Moses said to the people, "This is what the LORD said must be done."

And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done.

6Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward. He washed them with water.

And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

NoteWashing with water showed they were clean and ready for God's work.

7He put the coat on Aaron and tied the sash around him. He put the robe on him. Then he put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him to hold it in place.

And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

NoteThese were special clothes that only priests could wear. The ephod was worn over the robe, like a fancy apron. An ephod was a special apron-like vest.

8Then he put the breastpiece on Aaron. He put the Urim and the Thummim inside the breastpiece.

And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.

NoteThe Urim and Thummim were two small objects kept in the priest's pocket. The priest used them to ask God questions.

9He put the turban on Aaron's head. On the front of the turban he put the gold plate, the holy crown. He did just what the LORD told Moses to do.

And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses.

NoteA turban is a long cloth wrapped around the head. The gold plate had words on it saying the priest belonged to God.

10Then Moses took the holy oil. He poured it on the tent and on everything inside it. In this way he set them apart for God.

And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

NoteTo anoint means to pour oil on someone or something. It showed they were now God's, and no one else's. That is what "set apart for God" means.

11He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times. He put oil on the altar and on all its tools. He also put oil on the big washing bowl and its stand. In this way he set them apart for God.

And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

NoteAn altar was a big table where gifts to God were burned. The big washing bowl held water for the priests to wash their hands and feet. Seven was the number people used for something finished and complete.

12He poured some of the holy oil on Aaron's head. In this way he set Aaron apart for God.

And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

13Moses brought Aaron's sons forward. He put coats on them and tied sashes around them. He put caps on their heads. He did just what the LORD told Moses to do.

And Moses brought Aaron’s sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses.

1Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron. Each one took his censer, a small pan for burning incense. They put fire in the pans. They put incense on top of the fire. Then they offered strange fire to the LORD. God had not told them to do this.

And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

NoteIncense is a sweet powder that smells nice when it burns. A censer was a small metal pan for holding the hot coals. Aaron was the priest, the man who did God's special work at the tent. "Strange fire" means fire God had not asked for. The two young men did it their own way instead.

2Fire came out from the LORD. The fire burned them up. They died right there in front of the LORD.

And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

3Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD said. He said, 'I will show that I am holy through those who come near me. And all the people will see my glory.'" Aaron said nothing.

Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

Note"Holy" means set apart and different from everything else. "Glory" means how great and shining God is. Aaron was quiet. He did not say a word.

4Moses called for Mishael and Elzaphan. They were sons of Uzziel, who was Aaron's uncle. Moses said to them, "Come here. Carry your relatives away from the front of the holy tent. Take them outside the camp."

And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

NoteThe people of Israel lived in tents in the desert. All their tents together were called the camp. The holy tent stood in the middle of it.

5So they came near. They carried the men out of the camp, still in their coats. They did just what Moses had said.

So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

NoteThe coats were long shirts that the priests wore for their work.

6Then Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar. He said, "Do not let your hair hang loose. Do not tear your clothes. If you do, you will die, and anger will come on all the people. But the rest of Israel, your whole family, may cry about the fire the LORD started.

And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

NoteLong ago, sad people let their hair hang messy and loose. They also ripped their own clothes on purpose. It showed everyone that someone had died. Moses told Aaron and his sons not to do these things now.

7Do not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, the tent where people meet with God. If you go out, you will die. The LORD's special oil has been poured on you." So they did what Moses said.

And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

NoteThe special oil was olive oil poured on a priest's head. It showed that God had picked him for this work.

1The people complained. The LORD heard them and became angry. Fire from the LORD burned among them. It burned up people at the far edge of the camp.

And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

NoteThe people of Israel were traveling through a dry, empty land. They lived in tents in a big camp. They had left Egypt, where they had been slaves.

2The people cried out to Moses for help. Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire stopped.

And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

3So that place was named Taberah. It was named that because the LORD's fire burned there.

And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.

NoteTaberah means "burning" in the language the people spoke. Places were often named for what happened there.

4A mixed crowd was traveling with Israel. They badly wanted other food. The people of Israel cried again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat?

And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

NoteThe mixed crowd was people from other lands. They had left Egypt along with Israel.

5We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for free. We had cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:

NoteEgypt is the country where Israel had lived. They had food there, but they worked as slaves.

6But now we do not even feel hungry. There is nothing to look at but this manna."

But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

NoteManna was the food God sent them every morning. It came like small flakes on the ground. It was the only bread they had in the desert.

7The manna looked like little coriander seeds. Its color was like bdellium, a kind of tree gum.

And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

NoteCoriander seed is a tiny round seed used in cooking. It is about as small as the head of a pin. Tree gum is sticky juice that dries hard on a tree. Bdellium is a gum that comes out of a tree and dries hard.

8The people walked around and gathered it. They ground it or crushed it into flour. Then they cooked it and made flat cakes. It tasted like cakes baked with good oil.

And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

NoteThey had no store to buy flour. They crushed the manna between stones or in a heavy bowl. Then they cooked it like little pancakes.

9At night, dew fell on the camp. The manna fell along with the dew.

And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

NoteDew is tiny drops of water that settle on the ground at night.

10Moses heard family after family crying. Each man stood at the door of his tent. The LORD became very angry. Moses was upset too.

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

11Moses said to the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on me? I serve you. Why are you not pleased with me? You have put the weight of all these people on me.

And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

12Did I give birth to all these people? Are they my own children? You tell me to carry them close, like a nurse carries a baby. You want me to carry them all the way to the land you promised their fathers.

Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?

NoteA nurse here means a person who takes care of a baby. Moses is saying he is not their mother or father.

13Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep crying to me, 'Give us meat to eat!'

Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.

14I cannot carry all these people by myself. The load is too heavy for me.

I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

15If this is how you will treat me, please just kill me now. If you are pleased with me, do it. Then I will not have to see my own misery."

And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

16The LORD said to Moses, "Bring me seventy of Israel's elders. Pick ones you know are true leaders. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting to stand there with you.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

NoteThe Tent of Meeting was a special tent in the middle of camp. It was the place where people came to meet with God. Elders were the older men who led the people.

17I will come down and talk with you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is on you. I will put that Spirit on them. Then they will help you carry the people's load. You will not carry it alone.

And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

NoteThe Spirit means God's own power resting on a person. It helped Moses lead the people well.

18Tell the people this: Get yourselves ready for tomorrow. You will eat meat. The LORD heard you crying, 'Who will give us meat? We were better off in Egypt.' So the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it.

And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

NoteGetting ready meant washing and putting on clean clothes. People did this before something important with God.

19You will not eat it for just one day, or two days. Not five days, or ten days, or twenty days.

Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;

20You will eat it for a whole month. You will eat until it comes out your nose and makes you sick. This is because you turned away from the LORD, who is with you. You cried in front of him, 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?'"

But even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?

21Moses said, "There are six hundred thousand men here walking with me. And you say you will give them meat for a whole month.

And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.

NoteOnly grown men were counted in that number. With women and children, the crowd was far bigger. It was more people than live in most cities.

22Could we kill all our sheep and cattle and have enough? Could we catch all the fish in the sea and have enough?"

Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them?

23The LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short to help? Now you will see if my word comes true or not."

And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.

Note"Is the LORD's hand waxed short?" is an old way of asking a question. If your arm is short, you cannot reach far. God is asking if he is too weak to help.

24So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD said. He gathered seventy of the elders. He had them stand around the tent.

And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

25The LORD came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses. He put it on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. That means they spoke messages from God. But they never did it again.

And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

NoteThe cloud was how God showed the people he was there. They could see it with their own eyes.

26Two of the men had stayed in the camp. One was named Eldad and the other Medad. The Spirit rested on them too. Their names were on the list, but they had not gone to the tent. They spoke God's messages right there in the camp.

But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.

NoteThe list was the names of the seventy men Moses chose. Eldad and Medad were on it, but they stayed behind.

27A young man ran and told Moses. He said, "Eldad and Medad are speaking God's messages in the camp."

And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.

28Joshua son of Nun spoke up. He had helped Moses since he was young. He said, "Moses, my master, make them stop!"

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.

NoteJoshua was Moses' helper. Years later he became the leader of Israel.

29Moses said, "Are you upset for my sake? I wish all the LORD's people could speak his messages. I wish the LORD would put his Spirit on every one of them!"

And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

30Then Moses went back into the camp. The elders of Israel went with him.

And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

31The LORD sent a wind. It blew birds called quail in from the sea. They dropped near the camp. They lay about two cubits deep on the ground. They covered the land a whole day's walk in every direction.

And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

NoteQuail are small brown birds. They fly together in huge flocks. People catch them and eat them. A cubit is the length of your arm from elbow to fingertips, about as long as this line of print.

32The people were up all that day and night, and the next day too. They gathered the quail. Even the one who gathered least got ten homers. They spread the birds out all around the camp.

And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

NoteThe King James says each one gathered "ten homers." A homer was a big basket of about fifty gallons. Ten of them is more meat than one family could eat.

33The meat was still between their teeth. They had not even chewed it yet. The LORD became angry with the people. He struck them with a very bad sickness.

And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

34So that place was named Kibroth-hattaavah. That is where they buried the people who had craved meat.

And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted.

NoteKibroth-hattaavah means "the graves of wanting too much." The name reminded people what happened there.

35The people traveled from Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth. They stayed at Hazeroth for a while.

And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at Hazeroth.

NoteHazeroth was another stopping place in the desert. The people moved camp many times on this long trip.

1Miriam and Aaron said unkind things about Moses. It was because of the woman Moses had married. She came from Cush, a land far to the south.

And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

NoteMiriam and Aaron were Moses' big sister and big brother.

2They said, "Has the LORD only spoken through Moses? Has he not spoken through us too?" And the LORD heard them say it.

And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.

NoteLORD in big letters is God's own special name.

3Now Moses was a very humble man. He was more humble than anyone else on earth.

(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

NoteHumble means he did not think he was better than others.

4Right away the LORD spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He said, "You three come out to the tent where I meet my people." So all three came out.

And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

NoteThe tent was a special tent where God met his people. The people carried it with them when they moved.

5The LORD came down in a tall cloud. He stood at the door of the tent. He called Aaron and Miriam, and they both stepped forward.

And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.

NoteGod showed he was there by a tall cloud, like a pillar. The people could see it above the tent.

6He said, "Listen to my words. When there is a prophet among you, someone who tells people what I say, I show myself to him in a picture he sees. I speak to him in a dream.

And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

NoteA vision is a picture God shows someone while they are awake.

7But it is not that way with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house.

My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

NoteFaithful means you can always trust him to do right. "My house" here means God's people, like one big family.

8With him I speak face to face. I speak clearly, not in puzzles. He sees what the LORD looks like. So why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"

With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

NoteFace to face means talking closely, the way good friends talk.

9The LORD was very angry with them. Then he went away.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

10The cloud lifted up off the tent. Miriam's skin turned white as snow with a bad skin disease. Aaron looked at her and saw she was sick.

And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

NoteThis skin disease made the skin turn white and flaky. People who had it had to stay away from everyone else.

11Aaron said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold this sin against us. We were foolish, and we did wrong.

And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

Note"My lord" was a polite way to speak to someone you looked up to.

12Please do not let her be like a baby born dead, with half its body wasted away."

Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.

NoteAaron meant that the sickness was eating away her body. It was his way of saying how very sick she looked.

13So Moses called out to the LORD. He said, "O God, please heal her now!"

And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

14The LORD said to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, she would feel shame for seven days. So keep her outside the camp for seven days. After that she may come back in."

And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.

NoteSpitting in someone's face was a big insult back then. The person would stay away from others for a while.

15Miriam stayed outside the camp for seven days. The people did not travel until she came back.

And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

NoteThe camp was where all the people lived in their tents.

16After that the people left Hazeroth. They set up camp in the dry, empty land of Paran.

And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

NoteHazeroth and Paran are places in the desert. The people walked from one to the other and put up their tents.